White Teeth, by Zadie Smith, presents complex characters whose psychology provides insight into the meaning of the novel. Samad Miah Iqbal is a character whose psychosis corresponds to the main theme. He chose to immigrate to England in order to provide a better foundation for his family, but constantly faces integration problems. Samad tries to stay grounded in the Islamic religion even though the country is teeming with different cultures. However, the Iqbals are unable to maintain their values ​​in a country founded by colonialism and fused by biracial families and friendships. This imbalance of ethnic identity leads Samad and his family to find themselves alienated and worse off than when they started. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Samad is a character who intends to maintain his Islamic identity. His reasons for emigrating were based on personal and historical ties to England. Samad arrived in Britain after fighting in the Second World War and he feels a sense of moral responsibility because of his great-grandfather's role in the Indian Rebellion. Samad feels obliged to build his own reputation. While on his way to earning the respect he deserves, he is accidentally shot in the hand by a fellow student. This accident made him unworthy as a pilot, and he was then stationed in the "Buggered Battalion". This is the root of Samad’s weakened identity. Samad flees from the Russian army on morphine, waving his gun and threatening suicide. Archie catches up with a distraught and angry Samad, who says, “I’m a cripple, Jones. And my faith is paralyzed... I am no longer fit for anything now, not even for Allah, who is almighty in His mercy. What am I going to do when this war is over” (95). It is obvious that Samad needs his great-grandfather's model to forge an identity. A sense of accomplishment is important for Samad to become a man and ultimately achieve a core identity. Samad never had this chance. It was stolen from him by accident. Although the Islamic faith is based on destiny, Samad doesn't see the connection. Samad doesn't know who he is from the start. Now in England after the war, working from six in the evening to three in the morning, he feels less valued. He receives bad tips and finds himself stuck in an unstimulating environment. Samad would like to be able to wear a sign around his neck that says, “I AM NOT A WAITER.” I HAVE BEEN A SCIENTIST, A SOLDIER, A STUDENT… I AM MUSLIM BUT ALLAH FORSAKED ME OR I FORSAKED ALLAH, I’M NOT SURE” (49). Samad, unsure of his relationship with Allah, is unable to feel a pure connection with his religion. Therefore, he is unable to provide his family with an authentic example of how to live an “Islamic life.” Samad only knows what is constant in his life. That he has a wife, two children and his best friend is Archibald Jones. Although he admits to knowing Clara, Archie's wife, he claims that his Jamaican wife "is not that kind of black" (50). Samad cannot let go of his walls, which his religion has instituted, and accept that he is a friend of a black person. Alsana and Samad constantly argue about moving to Britain and raising their children. She is upset at the idea of ​​her children growing up around Archie and Clara's daughter, Irie, "half black and white" (51). Samad believes that Alsana has been corrupted by British ideals and vice versa. Alsana argues with Samad about whether to move and complains about not having food for her family. Samad,for his part, claims that there is meat in the freezer and that if it were his mother in the kitchen, she "would work all night preparing meat for her family... His mother did not spend the household money, as Alsana did. , on prepared meals, yogurts and canned spaghetti” (190). It is impossible for them to balance their traditional Islamic ways and adaptation to certain British conventions. Samad believes that there is a right way to live and that they should stay true to “who they were” when they lived in Bangladesh. Alsana says: “I am not like Samad Iqbal. I hold back. I live. I let live” (195). Apparently, Samad and Alsana are not on the same page when it comes to maintaining traditions and home economics. There is no point in them raising their children without Britain's influence on their fundamental identity. Although Samad fought in a British war, cheated on his wife, and took up a habit of drinking in an Irish bar, he blames his family for breaking the mold of a purely Islamic way of life. A storm hits Iqbal's house and Alsana sits on the roof. couch determined to wait. She is adamant about listening to Mr. Fish and says, “If this Mr. Fish says it’s okay, it’s okay. He's from the BBC, for God's sake! (183). This attitude toward the storm is more closely tied to Muslim belief than Samad recognizes. In the Islamic religion, destiny is in the hands of Allah and cannot be controlled or contained by man. As they prepare the car for the Joneses, Samad is incredulous when he sees the items they choose to bring with them as "essential things, of life and death" (184). Milliat chooses albums and posters from Western culture; Alsana brings food, her sewing machine and cigarettes. Samad's relationship with God and his past as a soldier are at the center of his decisions. Angry at his family, he declares: “No penknife, no edible products, no light sources. Great… Nobody even thinks about reading the Quran. Key element in an emergency situation: spiritual support” (185). Samad is obsessed with his religion and the purity it demands. The fact that Samad wants to adhere to his religion is by no means a bad thing, but in the context of the novel, his attitude is problematic. He expects his wife and two sons to live an Islamic lifestyle, but he neither devotes nor dedicates any of his time to making this happen. Samad's only attempt to enforce cultural purity is when he sends his favorite son, Magid, back to Bangladesh. Ironically, he returned a few years later, classically British and trained to become a lawyer. Her other son, Milliat, is alienated by his peers and turns to violence, drugs and pop culture to find himself belonging. He joins a group of ethnic boys who also feel excluded: “People had fucked with Dipesh and Hifan when they were wearing traditional clothes in the playground. We even fucked Milliat, with her tight jeans and her white stone. But no one fucked with any of them anymore because they looked like trouble” (192-3). Milliat becomes the so-called leader of his crew and finally feels a sense of pride and belonging. However, Alsana's cousin does not believe this to be true. She said, “He doesn’t know his ass to his elbow.” Just like his father. He doesn’t know who he is” (237). Although the novel focuses on the isolation and indifference of Samad's family, they are not the only ones affected by British multiculturalism. Many native Britons, Empire Windrush immigrants and other waves of immigrants feel discriminated against.. 2002):105-111